Read a full match preview of the Premier League game between West Ham United
and Norwich City at Upton Park on Tuesday Jan 1, 2013.

Referee Mark Clattenburg was accused of “killing” this game after two controversial early decisions condemned Norwich to defeat.

The official helped set the home side on their way to a much-needed victory, awarding an early penalty for a shirt tug by Ryan Bennett on Winston Reid that left the visitors fuming.

Mark Noble duly dispatched the spot kick, before a further storm ­followed West Ham’s second goal, with Norwich claiming that Carlton Cole had fouled midfielder Alex Tettey in the build-up.

Norwich midfielder Robert Snodgrass was furious after the match with the performance of Clattenburg, writing on Twitter: “The referee kills the game.” Snodgrass added: “If that’s a pen you will need to give 100 pens a season, small decisions change games.”

The Norwich manager, Chris Hughton, was more measured in his comments, but still insisted that Clattenburg had got both of the game’s big decisions wrong.

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He said: “The penalty, we accept that Ryan Bennett had hold of Reid’s shirt, but I also saw Reid’s forearm or so in Ryan Bennett’s chest or neck.

“They’re very close. He’s not pulling Reid so Reid can’t get away. It’s something you see game in, game out right throughout the country and on almost every occasion you don’t see a penalty, particularly when it’s so early in the game, so I was very surprised when he gave it.

“I also don’t accept it wasn’t a foul on Alex Tettey in the middle of the park leading up to the second goal.”

Hughton, whose side have now lost four consecutive games after a 10-match unbeaten streak, said he spoke to Clattenburg about the penalty, describing the referee as “calm” in their discussion.

The Tyne and Wear official is ­certainly no stranger to controversy, having been cleared earlier this ­season following allegations he directed a racist remark towards Chelsea’s John Obi Mikel. This, by comparison, is small fry. Yet he still found welcome vocal support in the shape of the West Ham manager, Sam Allardyce, who insisted that he had been correct to award a penalty.

“Because he is in such a good position there’s little else he could have done when he sees that he is pulling the shirt back off Reidy,” Allardyce said. “We have seen them many times before that haven’t been given, but this one I think he had a great view of it and I think it’s the correct decision.”

Clattenburg will certainly have good reason to defend his decision, with Bennett undoubtedly grabbing hold of Reid’s shirt as they tussled to win a high ball lobbed into the box by Guy Demel.

The second goal, after 26 minutes, was similarly debatable. Cole’s challenge on Tettey for an aerial ball in midfield was undoubtedly heavy, but did not appear to be a clear-cut foul.

The Norwich player was left in a heap on the ground after Cole landed on him, but West Ham played on – as Hughton insisted they were within their rights to do – with Joey O’Brien slotting home from close range after Noble’s ball to the near post had been cleared straight to him by Sebastian Bassong.

West Ham should have gone on to win comfortably from there, but Cole produced a contender for miss of the season, firing high and wide from three yards with the goal gaping.

Ricardo Vaz Te then hit a post with a second-half header, while Jack Collison had earlier failed to beat Norwich keeper Mark Bunn from six yards.

With just one win in their previous eight matches, West Ham began to retreat nervously.

Harry Kane could have had a penalty after James Tomkins caught him in the box, and the visitors did ensure a nervous last few minutes as Russell Martin volleyed in substitute Elliott Bennett’s right-wing cross.

West Ham held on, though. It was a particularly pleasing success for Allardyce, who had described this encounter as a “big test of nerve” for his side.

The only disappointment was his misfiring front men, something he may try to address during the transfer window.

“The disappointing thing is all the chances the front lads created and fluffed,” said Allardyce, who said he expected injured forward Andy Carroll to begin running this week with a view to returning in two or three weeks’ time. “If there’s ­anything we can add to that in the window then we’ll have a try.”